I wonder why they declared all that area off limitsa to development? Was there something under the ground they didn't want used?
Think Riady and Indonesian coal interests too. Just a coincidence, I'm sure. ;^)
It was called Coalgate; essentially, by preventing the mining of the clean burning coal the land was known to possess, the holdings of the Lippo Group in Indonesia increased significantly who possessed the only other known large deposits of this clean burning coal.
Most of the 'scandal' was rightwing speculation and theory rather than hard investigative journalism, but it was a good story that required a satsifacoty explanation.
http://www.wealth4freedom.com/offlimits.html National Park Service Land Designated by United Nations in Biodiversity Treaty
Off Limits to Americans
At Yellowstone National Park, United Nations' delegates who surveyed the area last year, called for a "buffer zone" around the Park. So, the Park Service is choking off the local economy by refusing to maintain certain highways and by buying up any property available. Of course, there will be plenty available as more and more owners are denied the use of their own private property which causes businesses to shut down and the economy to show.
Inside Yellowstone, the Park Service is shutting down campgrounds as the park is being prepared to become the core of a huge biosphere reserve, as part of the United Nations global plan. Once established, no human activity will be permitted in the area. This represents fulfillment of plans outlined in the United Nation's Biodiversity Treaty - which, though still unratified by the U.S. Senate, is being implemented by the Clinton Administration.
The way it is done is illustrated by what happened to the owners of the Crown Butte New World gold mine, which is OUTSIDE Yellowstone National Park. After being threated with non-stop litigation that could have lasted decades, the mining company finally agreed to a deal which leaves at least $650 million of known gold reserves in the ground. In exchange, the mining company was given the right to explore other federal lines for mining purposes and paid $65 million dollars ($21 million of which must be used for "environmental cleanup."
Another recent example was Clinton's declaration of Kaiwoporwits non-polluting coal reserves in Utah a "National Monument" by executive order. This "monument" will cost the Utah Public School system alone $60 BILLION in lost education fees. It will cost the future economy of Utah over a TRILLION dollars. The "monument" consists of 1.5 million acres of Utah land which the people of Utah not only did not KNOW was about to be snatched by Clinton as a key part of a future United Nations "biodiversity" area, but were vehemently opposed to.
Other United Nations designations as "biodiversity" areas include the following National Park Service lands:
Biosphere Reserves:
* Big Bend National Park, Tx. (801,163 acres)
* Big Thicket National Preserve, TX (85,750 acres) *
Congaree Swamp National Monument (SC (22,200 acres)
* Death Valley National Monument, CA (2,067,628) *
Denali National Park and Preserve, AK (6,500,000
acres) * Everglades National Park and Fort Jefferson
National Monument, Fl. (1, 571,199 acres) * Gates of
the Arctic Naitonal Park and Preserver, AK
(7,523,888 acres) * Glacier National Park, Mt
(1,013,572 acres) * Glacier Bay National Park and
Preserve, AK (3,283,168 acres) * Great Smoky
Mountains National Park, TN/NC (520,269) * Hawaii
Volcanoes National Park, HI (229,177 acres) * Isle
Royale National Park, MI (571,790 acres) * Joshua
Tree National Monument, CA (559,954 acres) * Kings
Canyon National Park, CA (461,901 acres) * Mammoth
Cave National Park, KY (52,708 acres) * Noatak
National Preserve, AK (6,574,481 acres) * Olympic
National Park, WA (922,651 acres) * Organ Pipe
National Monument, AZ (330,689 acres) * Redwood
National Park, CA (110,232 acres) * Rocky Mountain
National Park (265,727 acres) * Sequoia National
Park, CA (402,482 acres) * Virgin Islands National
Park, VI (14,689 acres) * Yellowstone National Park,
WY (2,219,791 acres)
World Heritage Sites
* Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM (46,766 acres)
* Grand Canyon National Park, AZ (1,217,158 acres) *
Mesa Verde National Park, CO (52,122 acres) *
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve and
Preserve, AK (13,188,325 acres)
* Yosemite National Park, CA. (761,236 acres)
Look at the fuss the media and the Left are making about Halliburton. They should have been ten times as loud about this...